“If you haven't done anything wrong, do not apologize.” — Dr. Jordan B. Peterson
You shall not bear false witness against yourself. You cannot produce true relational intimacy or heal actual relational tension by lying. It may "work" in the moment, but it lays down a foundation of deception as its basis of relational stability; and it should go without saying that unstable bricks do not a sound structure make.
Exodus 20:16
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You should do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If you are a Christian, you should not want to be lied to. You should rather not get your way than get it that way.
Proverbs 6:16, 19
There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him… a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.
God hates a false witness. It destroys unity. You cannot sow discord and expect harmony. The kicker is that those who lie in order to smooth things over end up actually sowing discord. Apologizing for a crime you did not commit in order to appease a party oversensitively offended does not produce peace between you, it sows division. It may have the appearance of peace in the moment since it produces a temporary cease fire, but it lays the foundation for future battles and guarantees greater conflicts yet to come. That kind of momentary peace only manufactures the munitions of perpetual malice.
A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow.
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